1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the dispensing of liquids and more particularly, this invention relates to an improved applicator device for marking, writing or dispersing a liquid on a surface.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various types of devices have been devised for marking or writing with ink, dye or paint. Among such devices are fountain pens, ball point pens, felt tip pens, capillary tube pens, fiber tip pens and the like. In addition, various other applicator devices have been devised in the prior art for applying and/or the dispersing a wide variety of other viscous and non-viscous liquid products such as perfumes, glues, insect repellants, oils, greases, lubricants and the like. The writing, marking and applicator devices of the prior art have received wide acceptance due in great measure to the convenience of the device and the ability to retain a large quantity of liquid in a liquid container. Further, the writing and applicator devices of the prior art have received wide acceptance due to the ability to supply additional applicator liquid from a liquid container to a surface applicator at the discretion of the user.
Continuing efforts have been made in the past to improve the design of applicator devices, particularly in the mechanism for improving the communication of the applicator liquid from the liquid container to the surface applicator for writing, marking or otherwise applying the applicator liquid on a surface. In a typical prior art applicator device, the applicator liquid flows to the surface applicator only when the applicator device is held upside down allowing the applicator liquid to flow to the surface applicator by action of gravity.
Prior to the advent of the present invention, there have been various problems in the design, fabrication, assembly and the utilization of applicator devices of the prior art. Most prior art devices incorporating a valve have required an excessively large number of parts. In general, the prior art applicator devices incorporating a valve had to be filled with the applicator liquid and then held in an upright orientation during the process of assembling the remainder of the applicator device. Accordingly, the completed but unassembled component parts of the liquid applicator device had to be shipped from a component parts manufacturer to a filling plant whereat the component parts had to be assembled concurrently with the filling of the containers. In general, the filling plants desire to undertake only the final assembly of a product as opposed to undertaking the entire assembly as required by the prior art applicator devices. This necessarily increased not only the total manufacturing cost, but also required the filling plant to provide an additional assembly line as well as to provide the quality control for the applicator device mechanism.
Accordingly, writing, marking and applicator devices of the prior art did not permit the assembly of the applicator mechanism independent of the final assembly at a filling plant. As a result of these and various other factors, the unit price for liquid applicator devices has been unnecessarily high.
It should be readily appreciated that the fabrication of the valve mechanism of an applicator device independent of the liquid container is a significant advancement in the art. The applicator device of the present invention allows for the fabrication and assembly of the applicator device mechanism from a single manufacturing site. Thereafter, the applicator device mechanism may be shipped to a filling plant whereat the liquid container may be filled with an applicator liquid. The applicator device mechanism may then be sealed to the filled liquid container. Furthermore, the improved applicator device of the present invention permits a user to separate the applicator device mechanism from a depleted liquid container without disassembling the applicator device mechanism. Consequently, the applicator device of the present invention could be refilled by the user to thereby extend the utility of applicator device and to further reduce the overall cost of the use of the applicator device.
In our prior patent application Ser. No. 706,100 filed Feb. 27, 1985, we disclosed a novel valve assembly suitable for use with a liquid dispensing device having a fiber tip surface applicator. In our continuation-in-part patent application Ser. No. 741,537 filed June 5, 1985, we disclosed a variation of the novel valve assembly which was suitable for use with a liquid dispensing device having either a fiber tip surface applicator or a brush surface applicator. In the present patent application, we have again improved upon the novel valve assembly through the incorporation of a superior sealing member interposed between the valve and the surface applicator which totally eliminates the need for a foam ring or foam disk sealer as required by most of the prior art devices. In addition, the novel sealing member of the present invention provides liquid seal between the valve and the surface applicator heretofore unknown in the art.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention is to provide an improved applicator device for dispensing an applicator liquid wherein the applicator device mechanism may be constructed independently of the liquid container and subsequently coupled to the filled liquid container to form the completed applicator device.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved applicator device for dispensing an applicator liquid having an increased ease of assembly herein unknown in the prior art.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved applicator device for dispensing an applicator liquid which is more economical than the prior art applicator devices through the incorporation of component parts which permit the applicator device mechanism to be assembled by an assembly machine independent of the liquid container.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved applicator device for dispensing an applicator liquid which permits a user to separate the applicator device mechanism from a depleted liquid container without disassembling the applicator device mechanism for enabling the applicator device to be refilled by the user.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved applicator device for dispensing liquids such as inks, dyes, paints or chemicals and dispensing a wide variety of other types of viscous and non-viscous liquid products such as glues, insect repellants, oils, greases, lubricants, coating and the like.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved applicator device for dispensing an applicator liquid incorporating a surface applicator which permits a user to disperse the dispensed liquid on the surface.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved applicator device for dispensing an applicator liquid incorporating a valve for sealing the liquid container of the applicator device to prevent evaporation of the liquid in the liquid container.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved applicator device for dispensing an applicator liquid incorporating a valve that is moveable into an open position upon a user depressing a substantially rigid surface applicator on a surface.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved applicator device for dispensing an applicator liquid incorporating a valve that is moveable into an open position upon a user depressing a valve actuator for applying the liquid on a surface by a flexible surface applicator.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved liquid applicator device for dispensing an applicator liquid which provides an improved support for a surface applicator in the form of a fiber tip.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved liquid applicator device for dispensing an applicator liquid for use with a surface applicator in the form of a flexible applicator such as a paint brush or the like.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved applicator device for dispensing an applicator liquid incorporating a liquid container, a valve closure, a valve body, a valve element and bias means for sealing the liquid container and for dispensing and dispersing the liquid on the surface upon movement of the valve element into an open position.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved applicator device for dispensing an applicator liquid which is convenient for painting, marking, or applying a liquid to a surface.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved applicator device for dispensing an applicator liquid incorporating a novel sealing member having a superior seal between the valve and the surface applicator.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved applicator device for dispensing an applicator liquid incorporating a novel sealing member which is yieldable for maintaining a seal between the valve and a surface applicator irrespective of lateral movement or bending of the surface applicator relative to the valve.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved applicator device for dispensing an applicator liquid incorporating a novel sealing member which is suitable for use with a liquid dispensing device having either a fiber tip surface applicator or a brush surface applicator.
The foregoing has outlined some of the more pertinent objects and advantages of the present invention. These objects and advantages should be construed to be merely illustrative of some of the more pertinent features and applications of the intended invention. Many other beneficial results can be obtained by applying the disclosed invention in a different manner or modifying the invention within the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, other objects and advantages and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the Summary of the Invention and the Detailed Description describing the preferred embodiments in addition to the scope of the invention defined by the claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying Drawings.